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Systematic Reviews

Writing the report

Writing a clear and detailed review report and sharing it in the appropriate medium ensures that your research has the greatest impact, reaching those who can best put it to use.

Your report will include a summary and analysis of your findings, and a detailed explanation of your methods and process. Readers should be able to follow and potentially replicate every step. Refer back to the framework and guidelines you chose as you prepare your manuscript. Keep in mind the conventions of any commissioning body or target journal, as they may have specific requirements for scoping reviews.

Remember, the key is transparency and reproducibility. To be sure you include everything you need to include, use the reporting standards below.

Publication

A librarian can help you identify high impact journals and help you consider the differences between open access and traditional publishing.

Do your research on the journal(s) you intend to submit to. Make sure you understand their audience, their scope and tone, and any standards or expectations they may have around scoping reviews.

Additional Publications

Think through how to maximize your publications with your work

  1. Published Scoping Review
  2. Published data & protocol
  3. Policy brief or white papers for an organization or popular or news rather than scholarly publication

You can cross pollinate by linking between them so that readers can more easily find them.

PRISMA Flow Diagram

The PRISMA flow diagram depicts the flow of information through the different phases of a systematic review. It maps the search (number of records identified), screening (number of records included and excluded), and selection (reasons for exclusion). Many systematic reviews include a PRISMA flow diagram in the published manuscript.

See below for resources to help you generate your own PRISMA flow diagram.

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